BASEBALL: Armstrong at it again

Wednesday

Shawn Armstrong is taking the same approach he had when he was playing youth baseball in New Bern and when he starred for the West Craven Eagles.

Shawn Armstrong is taking the same approach he had when he was playing youth baseball in New Bern and when he starred for the West Craven Eagles.

Pitching for the Akron Aeros, the Double-A Minor League Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, Armstrong is going to continue having fun on the mound.

That mentality helped him move swiftly through the Indians’ system last year, which began at Low-A Lake County and ended in Double-A.

“I am playing the game that I love to play,” Armstrong said. “I’ve played it since I was five years old, in New Bern and in church leagues. I’m going to take it a day at a time, play the game that I love and go out there and try and throw strikes.

“If I do that, I have a feeling I will get moved up sooner rather than later.”

Armstrong concluded spring training last week in Goodyear, Ariz. He pitched and played with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers for most of the spring before getting sent back to Akron.

The West Craven graduate and former East Carolina right-hander said he continued to improve on his mechanics as spring training progressed.

He added that he’s 100 perfect confident in his pitches.

Armstrong’s fastball has been clocked at 97 miles per hour, but he consistently ranges between 93 to 95 miles per hour. He also has a reliable cutter and curveball.

“I went up to Cleveland for winter development and I got to meet (Indians manager) Terry Francona,” Armstrong said. “I sat down with the head of our scouting and we talked. I was going to try to perfect a changeup and they decided they didn’t want me to throw a changeup at all and focus on my curveball which is as good as my cutter and fastball.

“That’s what I’ve been working on all spring. That’s what I am confident in. If I can throw three pitches for a strike, I think I will have a very good advantage.”

The Aeros open their season at home on Thursday against the Binghamton Mets. Armstrong will resume his role out of the bullpen as a set-up man.

He pitched in 17 games for Akron last season. He was 1-0 with three saves and a .89 ERA. Opponents hit just .176 off him.

Armstrong threw in 45 games last season between Lake County, the Carolina Mudcats and Akron. Combined, he had a sturdy ERA of 1.60.

If Armstrong has similar success to start the season, he hopes to be promoted to Columbus early.

“I want to go out there and have success,” Armstrong said. “I moved pretty quick last year and I am hoping to do the same this year.

“I’m just going to go out there and control what I can control and have success and try to win ball games.”

Armstrong’s personal objectivity is to advance through the minor leagues, and eventually reach the majors, but when he is on the mound, he is looking to help his team win.

Armstrong added that the team’s success will go hand-in-hand with his pursuit toward the big leagues.

By the end of the year, Armstrong hopes to be suiting up at Progressive Field for the Cleveland Indians.

“I have no control when I get moved up but my expectations are to make it to the big league before the year is over,” he said. “The biggest goal, for any pitcher or any player, is to stay healthy. I want to stay healthy, fill up the strike zone and control what I can control.

“My main goal is to be up at Progressive Field by the time the year is over.”

Shawn Armstrong

Team: Akron Aeros

Affiliation: Double-A Minor League Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

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